Safety mechanism for electrically-operated extractors.



F BALZER. SAFETY MECHANISM FOR ELECTRICALLY OPERATED EXTRACTORS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- 221N913. RENEWED JAN. 18.1917.

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1 I v I l/ 7 I 6 w 5t I I F. BALZER.

SAFETY MECHANISM FOR ELECTRICALLY OPERATED EXTRACTORS. APPLICATION FILED nEc.22, l9l3. RENEWED IAN. Is. 19H.

1,236,530. Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

' NITE STATES-PATENT OFFICE;

FRITZ BALZER, or CHICAGO; ILLINOIS, Assrenon To TnoY LAUNDRY MACHINERY COMPANY, LIMITED, OF OHIGIAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SAFETY rEcIrAnIsII "FOR ELEeTnIcALLY-orEnATEn EXTRACTORS.

Specification of Letters Patent. P t t 14,1 1

Application filed December 22, 1913 Serial No. 808,268. Renewed January 18, 1917. Serial No. 143,185.

.To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRITZ BALZER, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new andv "useful Improvements in Safety Mechanism for Electrically-Operated Extractors, of

which the following is a specification. My invention relates in general to safety mechanism for controlling the operation of electrically actuated machines, and more particularly to electrically driven centrifugal extractors.

The high speed at which the baskets of centrifugal extractors are rotated renders their use dangerous to careless operators, unless such extractors are provided with safety appliances for permitting the application of power to rotate the baskets only when the protecting covers are closed, and

for preventing the opening of the covers while the baskets are rotating.

- The primary object of my-invention is to provide an electrically driven machine having a protecting cover for the moving element,--with a shield to permit access to the starting switch only when the cover is in protecting position.

A further object of my invention is to provide an electrically driven machine with safety mechanism for permitting the starting of the motor only when the moving element of the machine is protected, and for preventing access to the moving element during the continuation of its movement;

A further object of my invention is to provide an electrically driven centrifugal extractor having a cover for preventing access to the revolving basket, in which the motor circuit can only be closed when the cover is closed, and in which the driving means which necessarily rotates while the basket rotates will be so connected with the cover that it can not be opened until such driving means have ceased to move. U

Still another object of my invention is to provide a centrifugal extractor which will be simple in construction and operation, and the use of which will be free from danger to the operators.

My invention will be more fully disclosed hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which the same is illus- Similar reference characters are used to desi nate similar parts in the several figures of t e drawings.

Reference letter A indicates the casing of a centrifugal extractor in which is inclosed the usual revolving basket,- not ,shown. B designates a suitable support for the casing A comprising standards and a base b'adapted to be supported upon the floor. Cdesignates a cover for closing'the top of the easing, thereby preventing access to the inclosed basket. D designates a vertical spindle upon the upper end of whic'h the basket is supported and" to which power is applied for rotating the same and thereby imparting revolution to the basket. 03, designates a pulley secured concentrically around the spindle D which is engaged by a driving belt E.

F designates one of a pair of idler pulleys around which the belt E p'assesand by which passes around a pulley g driven by an electrio motor G, the latter being suitably supported on a standard H connected by a brace H with the casing A and by-means of a bolt it with the base 6 of the support for the casing. The standard H is provided with a lateral extension it upon which are sup-,

-ported the pair' of idler pulleys around which the belt E passes.

K designates a switch for controlling the motor circuit and is preferably mounted directly .upon theexterior of the casing A. The switch comprises-push-buttons K and K for starting and stopping the motor. While the arrangement of the circuit of the motor G does not in itself constitute my invention, I have illustrated in Fig. 4 diagrammatically a convenient arrangement of the-motor. circuit in which the push-buttons K and K are shown as controlling circuits "leading to a starting switch mechanism G which controls a circuit from the lines through'the armature G",- the series field g andthe sh ht field 9 of the motor. L des-' 35 v 4 position relatively to the push-buttons that ignates a guard mounted upon'the controlling switch K and movable relatid'ely to the The, guard L" ispush-buttons. K and K I provided with holes. therethr'ough L and L which inone position of the guard overlie "the push-buttons and permit access to them,

but in another position of the guard the said openings do not: aline with the push-button and hence access to them is prevented. The guard L is provided with a flange Z at one end' thereof which is secured to the outwardly projecting end of a reciprocating rod m suitably mounted upon the exteriorof the casing A as by means of the guide tube M.

, The opposite end of the rod m to that which face of the water guard a. The other arm I n of the bell crank lever N is pivotally connected to a link P which extends through an opening in the water guard a, and is pivotally connected at p to the cover C, the said adjacent but eccentric to the "hinge of the cover C. A

When the cover C is in its closed position, so as to prevent access to the basket within the casing A, the guard L is in such the holes L, L overlie the push-buttons and permit them to be actuated. The circuit to the starting switch mechanism Gr may consequently be closed so as to start the motor and-consequently rotate the "basket through the medium of the belt E and engaged pulleys. When the cover C is lifted to itsopen position, shown in dotted lines 45. in Fig. 1, the link P is moved toward the right, thereby oscillating the bell crank lever N so as to depress the rod n and thereby oscillate the bell crank lever M in a direction to move the rod m and with it the guard L towaiil the left to such a position that the holes L and L in the guard are moved out of registry with the push-buttons, thereby preventing access to the pushbuttons to start the motor. The motor cannot be started, and hencethe basket cannot J be rotated, while the cover is open. I

' 7 While the above described mechanism prevents the starting of the motor juntil after the cover hasibeen closed, yet it doesnot in the'motor has beenstarted, and hence if no cooperating safety mechanism were employ: ed it would be possible for acareless opera- .tor' to lift ,the cover while the basket-confii'tinued togdriven, and thereby renderitself prevent'the lifting of the cover after,

v30 pointof pivotal connection p being located chines, and particularly for centrifugal ex- :tractors, by means of which the motor cant [not be started unless the safety cover is in starting of the motor, except when the cover --possihle an accident owing, to the exposed condition of the rapidly revolving basket. In orde'r'to avoid such a possibility,.- I provide. mechanism for preventing the raising of the cover during the rotation of the basket, which, in cooperation with the mechanism above described for preventing the starting of the motor until after the cover has been closed, renders the extractor entirely safe under all conditions. The safety mechanism for preventing the lifting of the cover during the rotation of the basket which I have illustrated in connection with my improved means for preventing the I. is closed, is the safety mechanism covered. by the patent ranted 'ointly to William Bartholomew, James F. l3roderick and myself, No. 1,120,388, December 8, 1914, which the path of movement of the bolt 1" so that the latter then extends through the hole in I the link and prevents the rearward move ment thereof necessary to the opening of the -cover C. A spring 1' is connected with the bell crankilever R to normally oscillate the same in position to project the bolt rthrough the hole in the link P. The shorter arm of the bell crank lever R is pivotally connected to a rod S, the lower end of which is connected to a detent 8 fulcrumed at S adjacent the spokes of the pulley F, which are provided withlugs 7 having a path of move ment so close to the end of the detent s that the latter cannot be moved in a 'direction to permit the withdrawal of the bolt r from engagement with the link P during the rotation of the pulley F. A weight 8 is connected to the detent s so as to normally oscillate the detent to a position out of the path of the lugs f on the spokes of the pulley F, in a manner fully disclosed in the said prior Patent No. 1,120,388.

From the foregoing'description it will be observed that I have invented improved safety mechanism for electrically driven ma- 1 position toqprotect the moving member,'and n which thesafety cover cannot be removed from its protecting position while the moving member continues to move.

claim:

for protecting said element, an'electric motor for--driving said element, a switch for tion with a casing, of a rotary basket in said casing, a cover for said casing, an electric f j motor for rotating said basket, and means for preventing the starting of said motor when said cover is open.

3. In a centrifugal extractor, the combination with a casin of a rotary basket in said casing, a cover or said casing, an electric motor operatively connected to said basket to rotate the same, a switch controlling the circuit of saidmotor, and means for preventing access to said. switch when said cover is open.

4:. In a centrifugal extractor, the combination with a casin of a rotary basket in said casing, a cover or said casing, an electric motor operatively connected to said basket to rotate the same, a switch controlling the circuit of said motor, a guard movable relatively to said switch, and means operated by said cover to move said guard into position to prevent the operation of said switch when the cover is opened.

5. In a centrifugal extractor, the combination with a casing, of a rotary basket in said casing, a cover pivotally mounted on said casing, an electric motor operatively connected to said basket to rotate the same, a-switch controlling the circuit of said motor, a link pivotally connected to said cover and reciprocated thereby, a guard movable relatively to said switch, .and means connecting said link with said guard to move the same into position to prevent the operation of said switch when the cover is opened.

6. In a centrifugal extractor, the combination with a casing, of a rotary basket in said casing, a cover pivotally mounted on said casing, an electric motor operatively connected to said basket to rotate the same,

a switch mounted upon said casing for controlling the circuit of said motor, a guard -mounted to reciprocate relatively to said switch, and means supported upon said'casmg operated by said cover to move said guard into position to prevent the operation of said switch whenthe cover is opened.

7. In a centrifugal extractor, the combination with a casing, of'a rotary basket in said casing, a cover for said casing, an electric motor for rotating said basket, means for preventing the starting of said motor when said cover is open, and means for preventing the opening of said cover during the rotation of thefbasket.

8. In a centrifugal extractor, the combination with a casing,of a rotary basket in said casing, a cover for said casing, an electric motor, power transmitting connections from the motor to the basket, means for preventlng the starting of said motor when said cover is open, and means operated by the movement of said power transmitting connections for preventing the opening of said cover during the rotation of said basket.

9. In a centrifugal extractor, the combination with a casing, of a rotary basket in said casing, a cover pivotally mounted on said casing, an electric motor operatively connected to said basket to rotate. the same,

a switch controlling the circuit of said motor, a link pivotally connected to said cover and reciprocated thereby, a guard movable relatively to said switch, means connecting said link with said guard to move the same into position to prevent the operation of said switch when the cover is opened, a lock for engaging said link to prevent'the'movement thereof necessary to the opening of said cover, and means for automatically retaining said lock in engagement with said linkduring the rotation of said basket.

10. In a centrifugal extractor, the combination with" a casing, 'of a rotary basket in said casing, a cover pivotally mounted upon said casing, an electric motor, power transmitting connections from said motor to said basket, a switch mounted upon said casing for controlling the circuit of said motor, a guard movable relatively to said switch, a link pivotally connected to said cover and reciprocated by the opening and closing movements thereof, means connecting said link wlth said guard to move the same lnto position to prevent the operation of said switch when the cover is opened, a lock engaging said link to prevent the movement thereof necessary to the opening of said cover, and means operated by the movement of said power transmitting connections forautomatically retaining said lock in engagement with said link during the rotationof the basket.

11 In a centrifugal extractor, the combination with a casing, of a rotary basket in said casing, a cover pivotally mounted on said casing, an electric motor operatively connected'to said basket to rotate the same, a switch mounted. on said casing for controlling the circuit of said motor, a guard mounted upon said casing to reciprocate relatively to said switch, a bell-crank lever fula! push button switch for controlling the circult or said motor, a plate mounted to reciprocate "relatively to said switch and havin a hole therethrough adapted to register wit the push-button, and means connecting said.

plate with said'cover to move said plate into position for the .hole therethrough to registe'r with the push button when the cover 1s closed, and to move said plate into a posi- In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

FRITZ BALZER, Witnesses: I

i C; M. LEARY, D. E. MANN. 

